Three Singaporeans on a mission to find a karate legend are found huddled together inside an abandoned car on a north Japanese mountainside. Local media reports say one of the boys told Hirosaki police his dying father had told his group to search for the master. Thirteen people set out from Singapore but one group was lost on the slopes of Mount Iwaki.

Japan's foreign ministry is reportedly going to ban cell phones inside the foreign minister's office and his guest room, in an attempt to avoid secret recording of his conversation. A Japanese newspaper reports that not only visitors, but also ministry employees, will be requested to leave their cell phones before entering. The foreign minister's secretary will reportedly keep the cell phones while the visitors meet with him.

A teacher in Japan apologizes for viewing a baseball game against rival South Korea during class. Reuters reports that fans from both countries watched the World Baseball Classic game last week, which South Korea won 2-1.

Tokyo, Japan (AHN)-A Japanese Buddhist priest, arrested on suspicion of having paid for sex with a teenage girl, says he was under stress and had given in to lust, Reuters reports.

Girdles have long been a staple for women who want to flatten their stomachs and hips. Now, it seems men in Japan have discovered this handy device and they can't get enough of them. Reuters reports a new line of male girdles was released on a trial basis in Japan last month. Stores quickly sold out of them.